Music-leaf turner



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet i.

J. BRIG-ART.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER. No. 565,031. Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. REIGART. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

I I p a r 1 a n M v a improvement in devices for holding and turnat the line y y of Fig. 4:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB REIGART, OF OBERLIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,031, dated August 4, 1896.

Application filed October 22, 189 5.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JACOB REIGART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oberlin, in the county of Dauphin, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful ing the leaves of music and the like, and has for its object to provide such a device which shall be simple in construction and automatic in operation, whereby a performer, without care or attention, may turn one page after another, which obviates the necessity of ceasing the performance for the purpose of turning such pages; and with these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction and operation in detail, referring by numbers to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improvement having the music placed thereon in its proper relative position to the operating parts of the device; Fig. 2, an enlarged bottom plan, a portion of the woodwork being broken away so as to show clearly the operating parts; Fig. 8, a section at the line a; 00 of Fig. 2 Fig. 4, an enlarged front view, portions being broken away and sectioned so as to show the actuating-spring; Fig. 5, a detailed perspec tive of one of the pivoted arms and the clamp for holding the music; and Fig. 6 is a section Similar numerals denote like parts in the several views of the drawings.

1 represents the base, which is preferably made'of wood, and which is adapted to support the several operating parts of the device, and 2 is the rack against which the music lies when in position. This rack is secured to the baseboard by suitable screws or otherwise. Extending vertically across this rack are two rods 3, and 4 are two sliding rods, ad-

justably secured to the first-named rods by Serial No. 566,497. (No model.)

means of the eyes 5. These last-named rods pass upward through holes in the upper edge of the rack, and are sobent as to have a certain amount of friction, whereby they may be retained in any position in which they are placed. The rods at are united at the top by a cross-section 6, to which is secured the clips 7, formed from a piece of wire 8, which is bent around said cross section. By this means it will be seen that the leaves of the music which are not in use and are not to be turned during the performing of a piece of music may be held upon the rack by these clips being adjusted over their upper edges, as before described, and a like effect may be had upon the lower edges of the sheets of music by the clips 9.

10 are a number of arms, shown to be three in the drawings, which are pivoted between the plates 11 and 12, which, in turn, are secured to the base-board 1, and 13 are springs, one of which is coiled around the pivot-pin 14, and the remaining two coiled around the first, and the extensions 15 of these springs are attached to the arms 10, and their lower ends 16 are secured in a suitable slot formed in the pivot-pin, thus imparting a spring action to said arms from right to left, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, and for the purpose hereinafter explained.

17 are wire clamps secured at the extremitiesof the arms and adapted to receive the lower edge of the sheets of music to be turned, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. These clamps may be provided with the extension-wire 18 to facilitate the turning ofthe leaf, as will be readily understood.

Projecting from the under side of each of the arms are two pins 19, set slightly out of line in relation to the arm, and 20 is a platespring attached to the base-block and having a catch 21, formed upon its outer end, which is in the path of travel of the inner pins 19, so that when they are swung to the right they will be engaged by this catch and held against the action of their respective springs. This spring 20 is connected to the operatingrod 22, so that it may be depressed by the proper manipulation of said rod and caused to release the arms 10 by withdrawing the catch 21 from engagement with the inner pins 19.

23 is a pawl pivoted to a bracket 24, which in turn is secured to the base-board, and this pawl is also connected by means of a slot 21 to the operating-rod 22, so that when the latch-springis depressed by said rod the nose of the pawl is elevated within the path of travel of the outer pins 10, thus forming a stop which arrests the movement of the next succeeding arm after the one immediately in front has been released by said catch. Now, then, the operating-lever is released and permitted to move upward by its resiliency, the catch will again return to its normal position in front of the next inner pin 10, and the nose of the pawl will swing downward without encountering the outer pin 19, permitting the arm upon which these two pins are secured to move forward a sufficient distance to bring the outer pin 19 to the front of the nose of the pawl, so that the operation above described in connection with releasing the arms may be repeated. Thus it will be seen that but one of the arms can be released at a time, and when so released will be swung to the left by its clamp.

The outer pin 19 of the arm which lies in front when turned to the right is preferably provided with a hand-knob 25, by which all the arms may be swung from left to right against the action of their springs simultaneously by grasping this knob. This will enable the performer to repeat the music any number of times without having to consume time in arranging the sheets, and for convenience in guiding the hand to this knob I form a cut-away portion 26 in the base-board in such position as to form a pocket immediately back of this knob when upon the left-hand side.

27 is a thumb-rod secured upon the operating-rod 22, and the lower extremity of this thumb-rod may be provided with any suitable button or loop within easy reach of the hands of the performer while playing, so as to actuate the device without too great a movement.

From. this description it will be seen that a great advantage is gained by the use of my improvement, as the performer can automatically turn the sheets of music from right to left and with but little effort reverse them from left to right without interrupting the performance.

I am aware that slight modifications might be made in the construction of my improve ment without departing from the spirit of my invention, which rests in the broad idea of providing a music-holder by which the sheets of said music may be automatically turned, and I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction shown and described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. In a music-leaf turner a number of springpressed arms, a spring-wire attached at one end to the base of the machine and carrying a catch adapted to engage the first arm a lever pivoted to the frame having a slot in one end to engage the wire and the other end adapted to slide between the first and second arms when the wire is depressed to release the first arm and a handle on the first arm by which all the arms are adapted to be returned to their normal positions, as and for the purpose described.

2. A device to release a number of springpressed arms one at a time consisting of a spring-wire attached at one end to the base of the machine, a sheet-metal plate secured thereon and bent to form a catch to engage the first spring-pressed arms,a lever pivoted to the frame and having in one end a slot to engage the spring-wire and the other end adapted to slip between the first and second arms when the wire is depressed to release the first arm.

The herein-described combination of the base-board 1, arms 10, pivoted thereto, springs 13, for actuating said arms from right to left, clamps 17, carried by said arms, for grasping the sheets of music to be turned, pins 19, depending from said arms, spring-catch 21, for engaging one of the pins 19, pawl 23, for retaining the arm immediately in the rear of the one to be released by said catch, operating-lever 22, connected with said catch and pawl, whereby the two last-named members are caused to move in unison, and a thumbrod 27 adj ustably secured to said operatinglever, all arranged to operate as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto al fixed my signature in the presence of two snbscribing witnesses.

JACOB REIGART.

Vitnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMsON,

lnRrs'riAN W. LYNCH. 

